The Games We Play
by dolphinrain
Summary: What can the team do when one of their own is taken?


Without A Trace:

The Games We Play, by dolphinrain

(Disclaimer: I own nothing from Without a Trace, except my bad guys and the old lady on the porch. I am writing for the fun of it and because my muse makes me. Thanks again to ryantyler for all his help before and again. This is the same story as before but with just a little cleaning up and hope you enjoy it. I love this show and miss it a lot! Hope this helps keep it alive.

Dedicated to my three kids as always, Jasmyne, Brandon and Alex who make life an adventure every day. Now, onto the story.)

Chapter One:

Jack Malone growled as he turned on the lamp beside his bed. He glanced at the clock and saw it read 2:35 a.m., before glaring at the phone that was ringing at this un-godly hour.

"What?" he grumbled into the phone.

"Do you know where your agents are, Jack Malone?" asked an electronic voice.

"What? Who is this?" Jack slowly sat up.

"So abrupt, Agent Malone, but you were always one to get to the point," The voice said. "One of your agents won't be coming into work tomorrow. I will call again at six a.m. with my instructions." Then the phone went dead.

If this was some kind of prank, Jack would personally shoot whoever it was. But he knew better than to take chances. So he dialed Vivian's number. He explained the strange message to her once she answered. She agreed to call Martin and Sam and he would call Danny and Elena.

By four a.m. only one agent hadn't answered their phone. Jack dressed as quickly as he could, then broke nearly every traffic law driving to the office. By 5:45 a.m. he was at his desk waiting for the phone to ring. A trace was set up as well as the other members of his team had arrived. All but one.

"Hello, Jack," the same electronically filtered voice said. "I'm certain you have already figured out the first part of this little game."

"What is it you want?" Jack asked.

"My demands are very simple. For your agent's safe return I want $450,000. You will have until noon to get the money. I will call again then to check your compliance. At noon, I will call with further instructions. If you don't comply, you won't even find enough body parts for a burial."

A photo of Danny was sent to Jack's phone. The picture showed Danny tied, gagged and blindfolded. He was sitting in an ancient looking chair. The young agent was already sporting a deep cut above his right eye and his cheek was bruised and swollen. Then the image faded and the call ended.

Jack slammed his phone down. "We find these guys. We aren't working on any other cases until we find Danny. I don't care if these guys make it to trial or not."

Vivian was almost feeling sorry for the kidnappers. Almost, but she had to admit she wanted a piece of these guys as well.

Chapter Two:

Jack was furious. No one dared harm one of _**HIS**_ agents or his friends.

"First, we need to track Danny's whereabouts after he left work yesterday," he said. "Check any video feed from here, neighbors, anything."

"He and I both left here around six-thirty," Martin spoke up. "He said something about getting some take out from Tsao's Wok then heading for home."

"Did you see him actually leave?"

"No. He headed for his car and I got into mine."

"I can get Mac to go through all the surveillance from last night," Sam got up to leave. "Then I can check out his apartment."

"Good. Take Vivian with you. Also check out Tsao's. Martin, you and Elena go talk with Rafi and Sylvia. See if they've seen or heard anything. I want to be ready when this idiot calls again."

At exactly seven a.m., Jack's phone rang again. He signaled to Mac to begin the trace.

"Well, Agent Malone," spoke the electronic voice. "What progress have you made?"

"I want to speak with my agent," Jack said.

"No."

"I will not negotiate unless I see him!"

"You are in no position to make demands, Jack. But I will allow this one time."

A live image was sent to Jack's phone. This time Danny was no longer in the chair. He was hanging from the ceiling by his wrists wearing only a blue tee-shirt and shorts. He was still gagged and blindfolded. There was more bruising than before and the right side of his face was so swollen his eye had shut.

"As you can see, Agent Taylor hasn't been the most cooperative," the image swung to a man in a black ski mask and a long sleeve black shirt. "But he is alive and mostly unharmed. Cooperate and he'll stay that way."

"Why don't you save yourself the aggravation and turn yourselves in now," Jack said in a voice that barely hid his rage.

"Perhaps you need more persuasion, Jack, as to how serious I am." The man's tone turned from pleasant to dark and he gestured to someone off camera.

A second man stepped into view. He was a large man wearing a red ski mask and dark blue shirt. He wore black fingerless gloves as he went over to Danny. The man grunted as he landed three quick blows to Danny's stomach then a fourth to his jaw. A second blow to his jaw and Danny's head snapped back.

"Any disrespect on your part or any failure to cooperate will prove most painful to your agent. I will call again in two hours. If I am not satisfied with your progress, you can begin making funeral arrangements!" The phone ended abruptly.

Jack hurried over to Mac. The younger man nearly jumped out of his seat. "I've got a hit!"

"It appears Agent Malone may need further convincing as to how serious we are," the black masked man said, turning the video camera toward Danny.

Danny felt the blindfold pulled off. He had to shake his head and he had to blink a few times before his vision came into focus. Most of the room was dark save lights directly above him and the light from a camera nearby aimed at him. He almost wished he couldn't still see as the man in the ski mask step up to him. The man held up a large pair of scissors with a grin. Danny flinched as the scissors cut into his skin as his shirt was cut.

"Oh, so sorry," the man chuckled.

A second man, much bigger, came into view pushing a machine. He held up a metal rod that was glowing red-hot. Danny's eyes widened as he tugged at his bonds.

_Oh, you've got to be kidding!_ Danny thought as the rod was pressed to his chest. He screamed into the gag and tried to twist away. The rod was pulled away and pressed again several times at various places. This went on for what seemed an eternity. Danny thought he could smell his own flesh beginning to burn. The man grinned when he pressed the rod to Danny's inner thigh. He screamed until he was hoarse. By the time they stopped with the rod, Danny hung limply in his bonds, the sweat rolling off of him.

_Where the hell are you, Jack?_ He thought as he finally passed out.

CHAPTER THREE

"F.B.I!" Jack shouted as he kicked in the door.

Other agents and several police officers followed close behind with their weapons drawn. They had located the old warehouse thanks to Mac's trace and had surrounded the building in record time. Jack raced inside as the door crashed open but there was no return fire. Jack swore when he saw the large empty room. There was a table and a few chairs, one that looked like the one Danny had been sitting in a few hours ago. On the floor beside it was a pile of clothes. On the chair was a disk with a note. Bold letters that read **MISSED**.

From outside came the sound of a speeding car and gunshots, lots of gunshots. This was followed by a terrible crash and then silence.

"What the hell happened?" Martin was the first outside. He saw a grey Toyota on its side, riddled with bullet holes.

"There were two cars," explained Officer J. Burke as the agents approached. "Another vehicle got away, a black Ford pickup. We've got a partial plate and a bolo already out on it."

In the driver's seat was the man from the video wearing the red ski-mask. He was a large man with curly red hair and dark staring eyes. His face was peppered with glass and bullet holes. A quick search of the car revealed no sign of Danny.

CHAPTER FOUR

Thirty-six hours had passed since Danny's kidnappers had contacted Jack. Ten hours since the botched rescue attempt. Jack knew as time passed their chances of finding Danny alive lessened. They all knew there job could be dangerous at times. It was still hard to accept that Danny could be dead, especially when they had been so close to finding him.

"Dead perp is identified as Paul Kincaid," Elena said as she read from a report. "He has a rap sheet as long as my arm. Armed robbery, aggravated assault, attempted murder. He was arrested for killing a bank guard during a robbery. But he escaped from prison six months ago and has been in hiding ever since. We're looking into any contacts he's had in and out of prison."

"Sir," a young agent approached the group. "This package arrived for you downstairs ten minutes ago, sir."

"Thanks, Ryan," Jack took the package and opened it carefully. Inside he found a computer disk labeled URGENT. "Hey, Ryan, find out where this came from. Who sent it."

"Yes, sir."

Jack gave the disk to Mac to run it. The image began with the ski-masked man. "Hello, Agent Malone, Quite the merry chase, wouldn't you agree? You nearly won that round. But of course, now the game goes on. But I don't think Agent Taylor is enjoying my company very much."

The video panned to the right. If Jack was angry before, he was now enraged. Danny was again hanging from the ceiling by his wrists. He had no clothes on and he had been badly beaten. The camera moved behind him to show his back.

"Oh, my god," Vivian breathed.

Danny had been whipped. His back was bloody and raw. There were welts across his entire backside, his legs, and even his rear. He was soaked with blood and sweat. He hung limply and Jack couldn't tell if he was even breathing.

"This is your doing, Agent Malone," the masked man came into view again. "You have two hours to cooperate." The image faded and an address flashed across the screen along with a time.

Jack slammed a fist into the glass door as he stormed into his office.

CHAPTER FIVE

Once Jack was alone in his office, he swept everything off his desk with one push. Papers scattered everywhere and a coffee cup shattered. He was about to kick over a chair when Vivian's voice startled him.

"Feel better?" she asked as he looked up at her.

"I thought I was alone," he told her.

"This isn't your fault, Jack," she said as she began picking up the papers.

Jack made a noise like a half laugh. "Half of me won't believe you. They took Danny to get to me."

"So, you told someone to kidnap and torture him?"

Jack didn't answer. "I can't give them what they want," he said after a short time.

"I know."

"And I can't help but worry how this will affect Danny when we can him back."

"We'll get him through this," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll all be there for him, one step at a time."

Martin chose that moment to open the door. He held a printout in his hand as he stepped over the coffee cup.

"We may have something," he said, barely able to conceal his excitement. "According to the prison, Kincaid had a cellmate last year. A bank robber by the name of Carl Reynolds…"

"Reynolds?" Jack exclaimed as he took the paper. "I had helped on that case before coming to missing persons. Carl and his brother, John Reynolds, held up a couple of banks. Brother was sixteen at the last robbery that went sour. Nearly got away with $450,000."

"John Reynolds was shot and killed during the last robbery," Martin continued.

"I shot him," Jack finished. "He died before the medics could get to him. I remember Carl swearing he'd get even with me."

"John was the youngest member of the Reynolds family. Parents died in 2007 leaving Carl their house just outside of the city. The partial plate is registered to the same address as the house."

Jack was pointing his finger as he began explaining how they were going to trap Reynolds. They were going to get Danny back.

CHAPTER SIX

Once the Reynolds house was located, Jack had ordered a search of the area. Unmarked police cars were casing the area trying to locate the truck. One elderly woman said she had seen the black truck return from an errand about ten minutes ago.

"I don't like that man," she told Elena. "He always yells at my little Carla." She pointed to the toy poodle that was growling at her. "I try to watch whenever she's out. I saw that awful man pull his truck right up to the doorstep, right across the grass. He was carrying something heavy wrapped in a blanket out to his truck. Shoved it in the back then went back into the house. He hasn't come out yet but the truck was running."

Elena quickly thanked the woman and relayed the information to Jack. The elderly woman was able to identify a picture of Carl Reynolds as her neighbor.

Jack answered his phone on the next ring. He was in his car just a few yards away from the house, his eye on the Ford.

"Well, Jack Malone, I am so glad you have decided to cooperate," Reynolds was still attempting to disguise his voice. "I will meet you in thirty minutes at the address I sent you. Once I have my money I will return Agent Taylor to you…mostly in one piece."

Jack gestured to the waiting agents and police. "Why don't we meet right now, Reynolds!" He growled as he stepped on the gas.

"What? How?" Reynolds shouted. He threw down his phone and made a dash for his truck.

"Here, stupid," Jack said as all guns were aimed on Reynolds. "Where is he? Where's Taylor?"

Reynolds cursed Jack as he also flipped him the finger. A shot rang out and Reynolds grabbed his now bleeding hand. Officers moved into cuff the man who turned to make a run for it. He made it to his truck before shots rang out. Reynolds fell to the ground, blood staining the grass beneath him. Jack couldn't tell whose gun killed the man, but right now he had more important things to worry about.

"Martin, you and Sam check out the house," Jack ordered. "Vivian, go with the uniforms and search the back." He was already at the truck.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Popping open the truck's cab, Jack was awash with mixed emotions when he saw the body of Danny Taylor, bound and gagged. Jack was outraged to see the naked form, covered in burns, bruises, and welts. The right side of his face was so swollen he was almost unrecognizable. Tentatively, Jack felt for a pulse.

"Get the paramedics over here now!" Jack screamed with relief and anxiety. Danny was alive! He took off the gag and blindfold calling Danny's name.

Danny was murmuring softly but Jack couldn't make out the words. It sounded like Spanish. He called Elena over and she leaned in close. She gently touched the uninjured side of his face, holding his hand and whispering to him in Spanish. He was shivering now and softly crying. Elena kept talking as Jack cut Danny's bonds.

Elena continued holding the young agent's hand as the paramedics approached. She made to leave, but Danny wouldn't let go. As the paramedics reached to pull him out, Danny suddenly tried lashing out with his free hand. But Elena kept whispering to him and brushing his hair with her free hand. After a short time, he grew calmer and the paramedics were able to move in.

"Stay with him, Elena," Jack told her. "We'll be in as soon as we can."

Nearly an hour passed before Jack and Vivian arrived at the hospital. They found Elena pacing the hallway with a cold cup of coffee in her hand.

"Any word?" Vivian asked.

"Not yet," the younger woman shook her head. "He was in and out in the ambulance but I don't think he was ever fully aware."

Jack nodded as he sat down. He hated hospitals. He'd hated when Vivian had been in due to her heart condition. Then when Martin had been shot, he'd barely gone in. It wasn't until much later, he realized how little support he'd shown Martin. Jack had been nearly oblivious to the younger man's difficult road back. He was supposed to be the leader of this dysfunctional group and he had failed miserably with Martin. He wouldn't make the same mistake with Danny.

"So, what was all that back at Reynolds place?" Jack asked. "What was he saying?"

Elena hesitated before she answered. "He kept saying 'No more, please, Popy, I'll be good. Rafi, where's Rafi?' I think he was having some kind of flashback. I sang a Spanish lullaby to him until he calmed down."

It was another half an hour before a doctor in green scrubs and white coat came out to them. By then Martin and Sam had arrived. They had stayed at the scene to make something nothing was missed.

"Family of Danny Taylor?" Dr. Rose Cassidy said, her eyes spotting the agents as they approached her.

"I'm Agent Jack Malone," Jack said showed her his badge and identification. "I'm a contact as well as his boss. The other agents here can listen to whatever is said about his condition."

Dr. Cassidy nodded. "Very well," she said. "As you already know, Agent Taylor was severely beaten. He has a serious concussion as well as a fractured right cheekbone. He has first and second degree burns as well as deep bruising on his chest, abdomen, and legs. His back is going to require multiple stitches and possibly some grafts to repair the damage. A few of the lacerations were deep into the muscles but he should recover fully. None of the injuries are life threatening on their own, it's the sheer number of injuries that's dangerous." Here the doctor hesitated as she put her hands in her pockets. "There was blood and fluid on his thighs. There was some muscle tearing as well. I'm sorry, but Agent Taylor was raped.

"We've done the rape kit and it's being rushed to the F.B.I. as we speak."

"I'll take it there myself," Martin said.

"When can we see him?" Vivian asked.

"Once he's settled in a room I'll have a nurse come for you," Dr. Cassidy told them. "It's going to be a few hours. We do ask only two at a time but I can let you stay as long as you like. Just don't overdo it and don't get in the way. If any of you like, a counselor can be made available to you for anyone who wants it."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Danny felt something cool and damp on his brow. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, he wasn't cold. His face wasn't throbbing and the pain in his back was tolerable. He thought he heard a soft voice speaking to him in Spanish. The voice was asking him to open his eyes, but he was afraid if he did, he would find this all a dream.

Finally he decided to open his eyes and immediately regretted it. The man in the black ski mask was grinning at him. The eyes were on fire.

"No!" he screamed and struck out with his fist. He felt hands grabbing him and he panicked. He cursed vehemently as he kicked out. The soft voice was gone now. Instead he thought he heard Jack's more robust tones telling him to calm down. Strong hands held his face.

"Danny, stop it, do you hear me?" Jack's voice persisted. "You need to calm down."

At last Danny's eyes came into focus and he peered into Jack's face. He slowly calmed down, his breathing returning to normal.

"J…Jack?" he whispered as he calmed down.

"Yeah, it's me," Jack released his hold on the younger agent. "You're in the hospital, Danny. I promise that you're safe. We got the ones who did this."

"Oh, God, Jack," Danny lost all composure as he hugged Jack to him and began sobbing. The older man sat on the edge of the bed and carefully returned the hug. Right now, Jack wasn't the strong boss. Right now, Danny needed a strong friend and that's what Jack would be.

The next time Danny woke, he had to blink a few times. Bright sunlight was streaming in from the window. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw Vivian in the chair beside him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to wake her, so he found himself staring at the ceiling. He vaguely remembered the embarrassing scene with Jack. He sighed as he tried to find a more comfortable position but he grimaced as pain shot across his back.

Vivian's head shot up when she heard the groan. She leaned forward to place a hand on is arm. She felt him flinch under her touch as she called his name.

"Hey, Danny," she said.

He tried to pull away as his eyes grew wide and slightly unfocused. He was beginning to panic again. He could heard Vivian's gentle touch, brushing his temple. Her voice was telling him he needed to calm down. It took a lot of persuading, but he was finally able to calm down.

"That's much better," she said as he opened his eyes. "I'm right here for you."

"Go away," he snapped at her.

"No, Danny, I'm not going anywhere. You need to stay calm or they're going to sedate you again."

"I really don't care." He closed his eyes. If she wouldn't leave, he just wouldn't look at her.

"Danny, I need you to listen to me. I know you can hear me. I am not going anywhere. I am going to help you through this. We all will…"

Danny's eyes snapped open. "Does everyone know what happened?"

"Yes."

Danny looked away from her. He wished he could just crawl away and disappear and that this never happened.

CHAPTER NINE

Danny sat on the edge of the bed. He was going home today and was just waiting for Jack to pick him up. Most of his injuries were healing well. His face still had a bandage and he would have a few scars on his back. But the doctors didn't expect any long term complications. He should be able to return to work in a few weeks.

His teammates had filled him on the details of the kidnapping and on Reynolds. He'd been grabbing dinner on his way home from work. He remembered dropping the bag with the shrimp rolls as he was grabbed. He'd been missing just a little over two days but he had no recollection of the rescue or the first few days in the hospital.

There were still times he thought he still saw Reynolds's masked face and could feel his rough hands on him. A few times he woke up screaming and in a cold sweat. Although the first few days were mostly a blur, he did remember Jack being here, _**A LOT**_. The others had been in and out to see him. Martin had brought him some fresh shrimp rolls, but he'd been physically ill at just the smell. He didn't think he'd ever be able to eat another one again.

A counselor had come to talk to him a few times. The first time had been a disaster. He'd ended up yelling at the woman and throwing a water pitcher at her. The next time Jack had been here and he had managed to stay calm. But he still had not spoken much.

"Ready to go?" Jack's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Danny looked up at him and nodded. But he frowned at the wheelchair. "I can walk just fine," he said.

"They won't let you leave without it," Jack said. "So just go with it."

Without another word, Danny sat in the chair and let Jack wheel him out. He did insist on getting in the car on his own.

"You can come back to work whenever you're ready," Jack told him as they made their way across traffic. When Danny didn't answer, Jack glanced over. The younger man's eyes were closed so Jack said nothing more until they reached Danny's apartment. "We're here," Jack reached over to gently tap his shoulder.

Danny eyes snapped open and he sat up too quickly. His breathing quickened and for a moment his eyes unfocused. Jack quickly got out and came around to Danny. He pulled open the door and leaned in.

"Danny, calm down," he said.

But Danny didn't seem to hear him, caught up in his panic. With an exasperated groan, Jack undid the seat belt and hauled Danny to his feet. The younger man didn't resist as Jack half-carried, half-walked him to the apartment. Getting inside he helped Danny to the sofa. Danny hid his face in his hands as he slowly calmed down. Jack went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

"God, I'm sorry, Jack," Danny spoke as he finally calmed and took a long drink.

"What have you to be sorry for?" Jack replied. "Danny, I could say the same thing. Sorry for killing Reynolds brother years ago. Sorry, for not finding you sooner."

"But you were just doing your job. You didn't know all this would happen," Danny sighed. "Jack, I don't know how to get past all this. I can't sleep. I freak if someone just touches me. I can't stop seeing his face." He chuckled but there was no humor in it. "Right now, I feel like grabbing a six pack."

Jack didn't reply for a few minutes. He wished he had let Vivian drive Danny home. She was better at consoling people than he was.

"I could easily have a few beers myself," he finally admitted. "To try forgetting all this was to get even with me. But I know that won't or can't change what happened. All I can do is take things one day at a time. And you know we're all going to help you through this any way we can."

Danny knew he had a struggle ahead of him. But he knew he wasn't going to face it alone.

FINISHED

(I hope you enjoy this little story. Again, I own nothing from Without a Trace except the few original characters in the story. Thanks again to RyanTyler2294 for all the assistance. If you read please leave a review. Thanks again.)


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